Five signs it’s time for me to leave the Pfister

Truth be told, my year as the Pfister Narrator flew by and I really don’t want to leave the position. However, the eloquent, wise words of Robert Frost once again filter through my brain: nothing gold can stay.

And really, there are five signs that make me think the universe is trying to tell me it’s time for this chapter of my ol’ Book Of Life to end. So, here they are.

1. The snacks in the Lobby Bar changed.

The complimentary munchies in the Pfister Lobby Bar served as my main food group during the past year and until recently, were consistently the same. However, a couple of weeks ago, they were suddenly different. Don’t get me wrong, the new nut-seed-dried fruit mix is still insanely addictive, but there are no longer wasabe peas in the mix. (I love wasabe peas!) This reminded me that I, too, must soon make like the spicy dried peas and ditch the proverbial snack bowl.

I am never going to look at a garlic chip in the same way.

2. Joe is no longer a Lobby Bar bartender.

Joe was the face of the Pfister Lobby Bar for me – in part because our schedules meshed and he was usually working when I was – but also because of his mad drink-making skills and warm smile. Joe moved behind the bar of the Mason Street Grill, which is also inside the Pfister Hotel, and I occasionally visit him in his new digs. But it just ain’t the same.

I miss Joe. And his mad Old Fashioned making skills.

3. My blazer needs dry cleaning. Like, really needs dry cleaning.

Being a black concert T-shirt and jeans kind of girl, when I got the job at the Pfister I decided to purchase a few items that would spruce up my look a smidge. I asked a couple of fashionistas what I should buy and both said instantly “you need a black blazer.” So I got one and wore it like a uniform – often over black concert T-shirts. But now, 11-plus months later, that thing really needs a-washing. I’m taking it as another sign that it’s about time to hang up my Narrator cap.

It’s not going to wash itself.

4. Stephanie’s legacy painting is on the wall.

Every artist in residence at the Pfister gifts a piece of work to the hotel which is then displayed in the hallway outside the studio. Former Pfister artist Stephanie Barenz’s tenure was over the month before mine, so that in and of itself felt like a sign of the end for me. However, when I actually saw her legacy piece hanging on the wall, it was like a mini version of R.E.M. climbed into my head and started playing “It’s the End Of The World As We Know It.”

“Eye of a hurricane, listen to yourself churn.”

5. Anja is waiting in the wings.

One of the true beauties of the Pfister Narrator position is that by picking a new writer once a year (prior to me it was every six months) there’s a new voice in the blog and new energy in the hotel. From the moment I learned Anja Notanja Sieger was applying for the position, I knew she was going to get the job. I am wistful about leaving, but ready to pass the spool of typewriter ribbon to Anja. I know she is going to do a wonderful job, with or without a black blazer.

Dear, Anja. Please feed the lions for me. Love, Molly.

About the author

Molly Snyder has lived in Milwaukee her entire life. She started keeping a diary when she was four and published her first poem at age 10 called “The Unicorn” in the now-defunct Shorewood Herald. Today, she writes less about mythical creatures and more about Milwaukee people and places. She is a senior writer at OnMilwaukee.com, where she has worked for the last 12 years. Telling people’s stories is her passion.

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Anja Notanja Sieger – The Current Narrator

Anja is pronounced (ON-JUH) and 'Notanja' (not-ON-JUH). Anja is the person-conduit and Notanja is the spirit writing the letters. Both currently hang out in the Pfister Hotel and would like to meet you.

"I am a performing typist who interprets other people's thoughts in the form of “prosettes.” Prosettes (poetry-letter hybrids) are typed for the customer on-the-spot, usually on a typewriter. For me the typewriter offers the pre-computer era tradition of translating ideas into clacking physicality. Customers can choose from the following options: Poetry, Love Letter, Insult Letter, Letter of Recommendation, Short Story, Letter from a Pet, Other. Writing letters requires me to pretend for the duration of the composition that I am the client.”